Today many Three Kings Parades have taken place in every Spanish town, just the day before the Three Kings will bring to Spanish children (and adults too!) the presents they have asked them for. This celebration, called the festival of Epiphany, is the last celebration before Christmas is finished in Spain.
the three kings arriving by sea
or skiing
or over floats
Melchor, king of Arabia, Gaspar, king of Tarsus and Balthasar, king of Ethiopia were always a part of the Nativity scene, they were the three kings who saw the star over Bethlem when Christ was born. They followed it to find the Christ child on January 6th. They brought the Christ child gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As long with the celebration, it is very typical to eat on the 6th the Kings Cake (Roscón de Reyes). It is a sort of tasty and beautiful bread made with crystallized fruits, nuts, orange peels and blossoms and its shape really evokes a crown, sometimes filled with cream or chocolate or other delightful contents.
The cake has a small trinket (often a small plastic toy) inside, and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations (such as buying the cake for the next celebration) and he (or she) is crowned and becomes the king or the queen of the banquet.
In Madrid it is very traditional as well to make a huge Roscón de Reyes in benefit to Aldeas Infantiles (a children charity association), this year the Roscón weighed 2.100 kilos and 4.000 madrileños could eat a little of it with a hot chocolate.
Also tomorrow on 6th January the Loteria del Niño (Child’s Lottery) will take place, it is as traditional as Christmas Lottery. In spite of its name, there is nothing little in this draw because with a total prize pool of €840 million and a jackpot prize pool of €120 million, you have a one in three chance of winning on El Niño.
And the day after tomorrow it can be really said Christmas is over in Spain!
beautiful tradition
ReplyDeletethat cake I think is delicious
Thanks smalldot, yes, it is a lovely tradition which brings much illusion to the children and the cake is delicious, so far I have eaten quite a few in only a few days, I hope not to put on weight too much!
ReplyDeleteWe went three kings, with our fathers very excited, looking forward to the morning of the 6th of january, received the toys had requested. play with much enthusiasm, but the worst is that had that day 10 back to school.
ReplyDeletelittle time for to play.